The Avengers - Coulson's Farewell
by MJPETTY7
Summary: In the wake of Agent Phil Coulson's death, he had written 4 different letters for each of the main four Avengers. Thor, Captain America, Hulk/Bruce Banner, and Iron Man. Nick Fury is given the task to deliver these letters to each hero after the "Battle for New York". Also starring Maria Hill, Black Widow, & Hawkeye! Written by Michael J. Petty and Josh Winchester (Pulpman19).


**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Hey guys, it's Michael here, I just want you to all know that this project was not done completely on my own, I collaborated with a friend of mine named Josh Winchester aka Pulpman19 for this one story. It was a quick story, we only wrote it all in about 5 hours total, and now it's online. I wrote the Prologue, Thor's story, Iron Man's story, and the Epilogue. Josh (Pulpman19) wrote the Captain America and Hulk stories. Don't think I did all the work though, because we BOTH came up with the plots for each arc. The reason I didn't do more than one chapter for this story we because, at least to me, it didn't feel complete when they were all separated. Anyway, thanks guys for reading, and please read some of mine (MJPETTY7) and Josh's (Pulpman19) stories. Avengers Assemble!

* * *

**PROLOGUE**

Right after the "Battle for New York" had ended, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Nick Fury was sitting at his desk. He had four envelopes on his desk, each one addressed to one of the men who had just saved the world. Thor. Captain America. Bruce Banner. Tony Stark. Fury called Maria Hill, his second-in-command now that Coulson was dead.

"Yes sir?" She asked.

"Give this letter to Agent Romanoff. Tell her that it's urgent and needs to be placed on Thor before he leaves with Loki for Asgard."

"Yes sir! Anything else?"

Fury looked up with a sour look in his face.

"We lost the best of us today Hill. We lost an agent, a son, a brother-in-arms, a friend. Like I told the "Avengers" earlier, I lost my _vision_ when he died."

"Sir?"

Hill looked at Fury with concern and sadness. She lost someone who was like a brother to her, while Fury had lost someone who was like his son. She felt the loss too.

"Sir, what about Stark, Banner, and Rogers?"

"I'll handle them Hill, just have Romanoff get this to Thor."

"Will do sir."

Hill turned to walk about, but decided she had one more question.

"Sir?"

"Yes, Ms. Hill?"

"Did he leave you or I anything, sir?"

"He told me not to give up on the boy, that he could be one of the greats one day."

"The boy from Queens sir? Richard and Mary..."

"Yes Hill, that boy. Will that be all?"

"Yes, sir."

With that, Hill walked about and Fury sat back down and got ready for the call from his superiors, which only took a few moments.

* * *

**THOR**

ONE WEEK AGO

Tony Stark, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanoff, Steve Rogers, Eric Selvig, and Bruce Banner stand together to watch Thor and Loki return to Asgard. Before Thor and Loki pull the switch, Natasha quickly put her hand on Thor's shoulder and slipped an envelope into the silver plating, patting it in.

"Why would Fury want Thor to have this?" she wondered. But it was not her place to question orders, so she did as she was told.

Thor and Loki turned on the "Cosmic Cube" and a beam of blue energy took them back home.

* * *

After Loki had been imprisoned, and Thor was welcomed home, and of course after their victory feast, Thor was left alone in his quarters to ponder his thoughts. As he sat, he put each hand on his shoulders, but when he put his right hand on his left shoulder, he felt something that was neither his cape nor his armor. It was what the humans would call, an envelope. Paper. Thor looked at it for a few minutes. "Was this some sort of mistake or was this one of Loki's tricks?" But, he decided to open the envelope that clearly said "Open Me" on the front of it.

In the envelope there was a letter and another envelope, this one a bit smaller. Thor quickly started to read the letter first.

"Thor,

Thank you for your courageous service in the "Battle of New York". I thought that your story deserved a name so that you could tell your friends on Asgard. I know you had to make some tough choices in the last week or so, and I want to thank you for making the right ones. I believe that your brother Loki is a threat and a vile excuse for a man, but you see good in him, something that is hard for me to see. You see the good in many people Thor; you did so with humanity the first time you came to Earth to fight your brother and the Destroyer (which we still don't understand). You will always have a place on Earth Thor, with S.H.I.E.L.D., with the Avengers (as people are calling you all), and with Jane Foster. Speaking of, we lost someone dear to all of us during this battle, a death that I'm sorry you had to witness. A death at the hands of your brother Loki, the death of Agent Phil Coulson. The envelope in this letter is what Coulson wanted you to have once he passed, and unfortunately he did. I hope you can appreciate what he gave to you; it took him a while to find it. Thank you again for your service and I hope that if we need you again, that you may answer our call.

Sincerely, Nick Fury"

Thor looked at the next envelope in his hand as a single tear fell from his eye. He opened the envelope and another letter appeared, along with a folded piece of paper, which he put aside.

* * *

"Dear Thor,

Thor, it has been an honor to meet you sir, I've always been a fan of what humans call "Norse Mythology", which are the stories of you and your people. Unfortunately, if you're reading this, it means that I have passed onto what you call Valhalla. The first time I met you, I realized that we are not alone in the universe, and thank the gods for it! Without you and your friends, the Destroyer would have heaped doomsday upon our world and Earth would have been destroyed. I realize that your father, Odin, banished you to Earth because you abused your power, but whatever Jane Foster did to you, it changed who you were. The stories tell of your epic battles, but I've seen your epic heart. I know you long to protect those who can't protect themselves, and I hope with the Avengers you get to do that. Speaking of Ms. Foster, I want you to know that S.H.I.E.L.D. will continue to keep her safe until your return for her and I want to personally assure you that all her equipment got back to her. I personally saw to that. I have made sure to it that our tech boys at S.H.I.E.L.D. will try and help you find a way to travel between Earth and Asgard again. It was a noble thing for you to do when you destroyed the Bi-Frost. Again sir, it was an honor, and I hope that, once you get back to Earth, you talk to Fury about the picture, because I kept it safe. It's waiting for you.

Sincerely, Phil, Son of Coul"

* * *

Thor looked at the letter again and again, and finally looked at the folded picture that was included in the second letter. It was a picture of an ancient tablet with a man on it. At first, he couldn't make out the man on the tablet, but then he realized that it was him. He was the man in the tablet, and Coulson knew this. Thor had inspired Coulson, and in turn, Coulson had inspired Thor.

* * *

**CAPTAIN AMERICA**

In the aftermath of the near invasion of the Earth, it had felt like such a whirlwind of events for the team. There had been the cleanup, several press conferences, plus for the world, the news that Captain Steven Rogers, Captain America himself, was in fact alive, despite having been thought dead for the last 70 years.

For Steve, everything had seemed to go by so fast. There were points, when he thought that if he squeezed his eyes shut, maybe even clicked his heels three times, he would wake up, and it would be 1944 again. He would be home, he would be with Peggy. But sadly, that wasn't the case.

Thankfully, most people didn't recognize him without the new uniform and the shield on his arm, so walking down the streets of Manhattan wasn't a problem. Things had seemed to go back to normal. Most of the time, he just went to the gym, and well, did anything he could to stay in shape, be ready for when Col. Fury called him in.

He had just gotten back to the apartment, after finishing his daily workout; the Colonel was waiting for him. Never mind how he had gotten in, Steve knew that he wouldn't get an answer.

"Colonel, what is it? Another threat?"

Colonel Nick Fury stood up from Steve's small kitchen table, and thrust his hands deep into his coat pockets.

"No Cap, everything's all clear. I wanted to stop by, and see how you were doing?"

Steve sighed. He went into the kitchen, and opened the fridge. Pulling out two green glass bottles of Coca-Cola, he popped the caps off and handed one to Fury. Both men stood in silence, taking occasional sips. Finally, after glancing around the apartment, Fury spoke.

"You know, you really should get more stuff in here, make it feel more like home."

Steve stared down at his feet and took another sip. "I'm trying sir, but everything these days, it's all so, well new. I wake up after 70 years, and the world has moved on, but I haven't."

Fury put down the bottle and put a reassuring hand on Steve's shoulder. "I know it's not easy Cap. But in time, you'll get used to things."

As he started for the front door, he pulled an envelope out of his coat pocket. It had 'To Captain America' written on it. Steve took it, looking at it with a puzzled expression.

"It's from Agent Colson. When we were sorting out his effects, we found this. It seems that he left you some stuff."

Steve opened the envelope, and pulled out a letter. Written on it, in a shorthand scrawl, was the message,

* * *

"Dear Captain Rogers,

If you are reading this, then it mean's I am dead. I always looked up to you, ever since my grand-father told me stories about you as a kid. You probably wouldn't remember him, he was a Private, Jack Coulson was his name. He died a few years ago. I wish I could have gotten him to meet with you before he passed, but I guess me meeting you was the next best thing. I've never been one with words Captain, but I am so thankful you what you did during the War and what you are going to do for us now. I'm sorry I never got you to sign those trading cards, but that's what happens when you are always working to keep the world safe. I know how hard it must be, finding yourself in a world that seems to have gone by in the blink of an eye. So I took the liberty of gathering together items, which would help you feel a bit more like it's the good times. It was an honor to meet you sir. You'll always remain a hero to me.

Sincerely, Phil Coulson"

* * *

Steve looked up as the front door of his apartment was shouldered open, and several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in civilian clothes came in carrying several large boxes. They set them down on the floor, and left as quickly as they came.

Kneeling down, Steve took the lid off one, then stopped, and stared. Inside was a large stack of records, all of them from the 1930's and early 40's. He flipped through them, a smile slowly spreading across his face as he recognized various musicians he had listened to growing up in Brooklyn.

The second box was an even bigger surprise. There was a mix of Captain America comic books, all from the war, along with a variety of pulp novels, including the Shadow, Doc Savage, the Spider and a few other titles.

If the first two boxes had come as a surprise to Steve, the third one was an even bigger surprise. Inside, was a record player that had a built in radio. But that wasn't the best part. Phil had somehow managed to find several photographs, all framed, from the war. One was of Steve and the Howling Commando's, all posing after they had smashed a HYDRA facility and liberated the town of Bastogne. They were all there, even Bucky. The next photo was one of Steve posing with Senator Brandt and Colonel Philips, during one of the goodwill tours the Senator had made in London.

It was the third photograph, which was the one that made Steve's heart race faster. It was a photo of him and Peggy, taken during the Christmas party in 43'. The Commando's had invited her to join them for a round of strong Irish whiskey, which had been too strong for Steve, but Peggy had taken to it like a fish to water. Next thing he knew, she had pulled him into a hug, and there was a flashbulb as Bucky snapped a picture.

Steve stood up, putting the pictures on the little table near the phone, and shook Fury's hand. After the Colonel left, Steve pulled out the record player, followed the instructions to set it up, and loaded one of Benny Goodman's albums. As the sweet sounds of clarinet and trumpet filled the apartment, Steve sat and stared at the photo of him and Peggy. Maybe, just maybe, it wasn't so bad after all. This brave new world.

* * *

**BRUCE BANNER**

While the world was celebrating its surviving a near invasion by an alien race, Bruce Banner just wanted to disappear again. He knew that Ross, and the Army, would be after him. Ross was relentless, he wanted the Hulk, wanted the anger and the rage. It was all about control. Bruce had let the Hulk out, and he had helped save the world. But now, it was time for things to go back to normal, back to hiding, and when necessary, running.

As he packed up his bags in the room at Stark Tower that Tony had let him stay in, he looked outside at the view. It had been so long since he had been back in New York, since he had been back in the States. The team had filled him in on what had happened when the Hulk was out. In the end, he had helped in a big way.

Throwing some shirts in his bag, he noticed a photograph fall out from a pocket. Picking it up, his heart formed a lump in his throat. It was Betty. Sweet, beautiful Betty. She had never given up on him, never stopped loving him. The time they had spent together, when he came back from South America, were some of the brightest, happiest moments of his life since the accident.

A knock on the door made him start. It could be Ross, finally here to take him away, back to a lab. He tried to remain calm, but he could feel the fear and rage building inside him. The door opened, and Bruce's heartbeat slowed, it was Nick Fury. Fury was a friend, not an enemy. There was no need for the Hulk to make an appearance.

"Leaving so soon Doctor?"

Bruce cast a nervous eye at the disheveled room, clothes everywhere, papers scattered. He turned back to Fury and grinned slightly.

"Well, since things are getting back to normal, and since I'm still a wanted fugitive by the government, I thought it would be best to leave before the General showed up."

Fury reached into his coat pocket and pulled out two envelopes. He grinned.

"Well you might wanna take a look at these before you go scurrying back to parts unknown.

Bruce looked at the first envelope, which had the words 'Open me' written on it in a hasty scrawl. Inside was a note.

* * *

"Doctor Banner,

If you're reading this, it means that I'm gone. But before I am only a memory, I want you to have what's in the second envelope. You've sacrificed so much for people you hardly know. This was well deserved. Remember, try to stay calm.

Sincerely, Agent Phil Coulson"

* * *

Confused, he opened the second envelope. Inside, was a piece of stationery with the Presidential seal on it. Glancing over the letter, his eyes grew wide and his mouth hung slightly open. Stammering, he looked up at Colonel Fury, his eyes big as dinner plates.

"Is…is this real?"

Fury smiled, pleased as could be.

"Oh it's real alright Doctor Banner. Agent Coulson, when he heard how we were pulling you in, requested a meeting with the President. After a lot of talking, he managed to convince our Commander in Chief to write up a Presidential pardon for the Hulk's past acts, and granting amnesty for all future acts. 'Thunderbolt' Ross can't touch you now Bruce. You're a free man.

Bruce smiled, and felt tears welling up in his eyes. After so long, after so many years of fear and running, he could stop running now, and live a normal life, or as normal as it could get with the Hulk inside him.

Looking up, he saw that Fury had left. Bruce glanced down at the bag, and pulled out the picture of Betty again. He stared into those beautiful eyes, the eyes that had drawn her to him so many years ago. Picking up the phone, he started dialing her number. It was time, time for things to start over.

* * *

**IRON MAN**

One week. It had only been one week since Loki's alien invasion on New York City. A city that was, according to him, supposed to shine like a beacon to the world. That "him" would be Tony Stark; the billionaire, playboy philanthropist. But the rest of the world knows him solely as Iron Man. As Iron Man, Tony had taken on Obadiah Stane, Ivan Vanko, Justin Hammer, Hammer-Drones, terrorists in the Middle East, the US Army, his best friend, Thor, Loki, the Hulk, and now an alien army which they still weren't sure where it came from. But, unfortunately, what motivated him and his new found friends to stop this threat was the death of a comrade, a teammate, a friend. Agent Coulson was gone, and with him his charm. Tony knows this, and it's killing him.

Just then, Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., walked into Tony's loft at Stark Tower (now called "Avengers Tower" by the media). He had been in the building for another meeting and thought he could kill two birds with one stone.

"Mr. Stark."

Tony just sat in his chair, he wanted desperately to be alone, he wouldn't even let Pepper fly out from D.C.

"Mr. Stark!" yelled an irritated Nick Fury.

"What is it Fury?" replied Tony.

Fury walked over to Stark. He could hear the hurt in his voice. He knew that Stark wasn't like Rogers. He wasn't a soldier, he wasn't a warrior; he was a man pretending to be one. Fury knew this.

"I was just in the neighborhood and I thought I'd stop by!" Fury paused, Stark didn't budge. "You did good out there Stark. You helped save a lot of lives with the team last week. I thought we'd give you some time off."

"And now what Nick, you barge back into my house and ask for my help again? What did you lose this time? Huh!"

"I lost an Agent! Dammit Stark! I thought we were past this. I thought you were past this."

"Well maybe I'm not Nick, so cut me some slack. Me and the whole "super-secret boy band" already did your job, now let me be."

Fury closed his eye and breathed. He knew this was going to be difficult, but he didn't realize how much Coulson had to deal with when he first dealt with Stark. This is why he had a right eye man.

Fury took a note out of his coat pocket and dropped it on Tony's lap.

"What's this? My paycheck?"

"Not yet, that one will be another few weeks. This however was from Coulson."

Stark looked up at Fury with a "deer-in-the-headlights" look in his eyes.

"He cleared it with me first, but he wanted you to have this."

Stark opened the note and started to read.

* * *

"Dear Mr. Stark,

I know you and I haven't always seen eye-to-eye on everything Mr. Stark, but I would like to think that by now, we have already gotten past that. That being said, if you are reading this, it means I'm already dead. I hope that I brought you to tears. Someone has to.

Back about two years ago, around the time we first met, you had first become Iron Man. I want you to know that the only reason I put together that alibi story of the Iron Man being your bodyguard was because I respected and supported what you were doing. You destroyed your life's, and your father's life's, work in order to bring peace to a land that would have none. I hadn't heard of anyone going to such extreme measures to protect people before then, besides Captain America (who was long before my time). But when you told the world about your secret, about who you were, I knew you were destined for great things Mr. Stark. That's why I've been so hard on you. The charade of the playboy that you've been wearing for so long, that's not you, but what is you was when you fought Stane, and Vanko, Hammer, and now Loki. So, because that is the man I have grown to know and respect, I have one thing for you, or rather, Director Fury does. Obadiah Stane's Iron Monger suit. It's yours. I figured that if a bigger threat than Loki arose, that you might need a bigger suit of armor with more firepower. I thought you may learn something from your enemies. Mr. Stark, it's been a pleasure working with you sir, and I hope that you can one day see what I see in you now.

Sincerely, Agent Coulson"

* * *

Stark was speechless. He didn't have the words. He didn't have the tears either, he used them all. All he had was this letter and a suit of armor big enough to fight the Hulk. Tony finally saw what Coulson, and Fury, and the whole world saw in him, he saw the yearning for a better and brighter future. He saw a hope for a brave new world.

* * *

**EPILOGUE**

Agent Clint Barton, codename: Hawkeye, member of the "Avengers Initiative" walked into Director Fury's office on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" asked Barton.

"Yes Barton, have a seat."

"I'd rather stand sir, if that's alright."

Fury looked at Barton, then the chair, then Barton.

"Alright then. I want to congratulate you. You may have been under Loki's control for half of the battle, but I could see how you were subconsciously pulling your shots. And may I add your excellent work in New York alongside the Avengers, along with Agent Romanoff."

"Thank you, sir." Replied Barton.

"You're welcome. Now, onto other business. Agent Coulson wanted me to give you a message in case he didn't make it."

"And that is, sir?"

Fury pulled out one single slip of paper and handed it to the archer.

Barton read it carefully. "Tell her how you feel Clint, trust me, I know. – Coulson"

Barton looked up at Fury and Fury looked back with a smile.

"Is that all, sir?" asked Barton.

"That's all I have for you son, the rest is up to you."

Clint smiled and turned out of Fury's office and looked down the hallway at Agent Natasha Romanoff, codename: Black Widow, and smiled.

Back in Fury's office, Fury stood up and said to himself, "You were right Phil, they were who we needed, and when we need them again, they'll be back, because that's what you would do."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Thanks guys so much for reading this, we hope you all enjoyed it! Please leave a review on the bottom of this page along with telling us what your favorite moment was! Remember, if you want to ask a question about the Prologue, Thor, Iron Man, and/or Epilogue parts, contact me. But if you want to ask about the Captain America or Hulk/Bruce Banner parts, ask Pulpman19. Thanks guys for reading, and until next time, EXCELSIOR!


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